We’re all seeking the secret to getting to the next level of life. How do you level up? How do you graduate to more? How do you get that promotion to higher grounds? How do you climb up from where you have been and taste what is available now?

I’m completely humbled by the journey God has taken me on in my life. Today that journey brings me to a place I could have never imagined. A place of stepping up to a microphone every morning and hosting Spotify’s number 1 devotional podcast in the world, in my country twang and funky play on words. Today I get to create adventure retreats for women and take them to beautiful places all across the country, and these retreats aren’t just fun, they change lives. I mean seriously ya’ll, I have the best job in the world!

That’s today … but let me tell you about the first 9 years of this decade on this journey. I struggled. Struggled hard. I created, and few listened. I hosted and little showed up. Our family often went in the red with my crazy ideas that once again fell flat.

BUT GOD … remember the devotional from earlier this week … BUT GOD. I struggled and I failed … BUT GOD. But God had so much more available to me … and the way there was directly through the struggle. I had to be willing to struggle right through it. Keep showing up in the failure and get better. Keep believing that maybe it would work the next time, then shake off the discouragement when it didn’t.

How do you get to the next level of life? How do you graduate to more? How do you get that promotion to higher grounds? How do you level up? YOUR ROCK THE CURRENT LEVEL YOU’RE ON.

YES, exactly where you are today, you show up with the best God has placed within you and you rock this. I truly believe the only way this simple little country girl from Ava, MO stepped up from being the french fry manager at McDonald’s to hosting the number one devotional podcast was rocking every single level of life in between. I’m going to tell you a little secret … I loved working at McDonald’s. And I’ve loved every entry level position after that. Loving your job has nothing to do with your boss or your position … it has everything to do with your perspective and attitude.

When you can rock your current level in life and be faithful with what is expected of you today, you prove yourself capable of more. How could we ever expect to be entrusted with more if we’re ungrateful with the offerings of today? How could we ever think we will level up if we’re not showing up exactly where we already are. You won’t magically start showing up with a better attitude when you’re promoted in life. It doesn’t work that way. And your creator knows it!

God laid out a plan for us in scripture. A 3 step plan to rocking life and leveling up.

I Corinthians 15:58 “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Now let’s break it down. First, be steadfast. Steadfast is from the root word SIT. In other words, you must be seated. Be settled in the truth.

We live very unsettled lives in an unsettled world. We are tense, uptight, anxious and always stirred up about something. And God says be steadfast – sit down – settle down. Be RELAXED. Did you know you can be working and still be relaxed? God never intended for you and I to go through the days of our life so unsettled. Don’t you know you are way too blessed to be stressed. Stress is the plan of the enemy. Have you fallen into his trap?

You see, as long as you are stressed and anxious, you can never be seated in truth. You can never be steadfast in knowing who you are and who’s you are. Today, take a seat in what you know to be true. You are forgiven, you are chosen, you are blessed. God has a plan, it is a good plan, and nothing will be wasted. Settle into that. Sit down in that truth today. Resist the temptation to be constantly stirred up and upset.

Let’s look at our scripture again – “Be steadfast and unmovable.” Unmovable like a solid rock.

James 1:6 says “the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Our doubt causes us to be seasick. We’re constantly tossed around and stirred up on the inside. We stress over making the right decision, then question the decisions we make, changing our mind, going back and forth, back and forth, tossed around like a little boat on a big stormy ocean. And God says be unmovable.

Stop doubting. Stop doubting God – Stop doubting his plan for you – Stop doubting your ability to walk in his plan for you. Your doubt is making you sick. Be unmovable like a solid rock. Let your yes be yes. Let your no be no. Have boundaries. I will do this, I won’t do that and I will be unmovable with my commitments. Some of us need to start with the basics. Choose your outfit, put it on and resist the urge to stand in your closet wondering if you should change. Stop it. Woman this is madness. Make a decision, then be confident in your decision.

If you said yes to going somewhere today or this weekend, how about you honor your yes and stop wavering back and forth. The wavering is much more exhausting than just going. Then use this to be mindful of your future yeses, knowing if you say yes, it’s a done deal … you’re doing it.

Next our scripture says “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” There’s step three, always abounding. Abounding means plentiful, abundant. Be abundant in your work. For you today, this means go the extra mile. Stop doing the minimum.

Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord.” God wants to talk to you about your work today. Whether you go to an office, a factory or a school. Whether you’re the boss or the employee. Whether you’re punching the clock, running the shop, or the boss of your house, you are working today. And God expects you to work for Him. Everything you do, do it with all you heart as if working for God, because actually YOU ARE. You are working for God.

Everything you do today matters. Everything makes an impact. And he wants to know if you will always abound in your work today. Will you go the extra mile? Will you do it right? Will you give it your absolute best effort? Will you finish it today? Yes, mama who is at home doing laundry today – will you abound with your work today? Will you fold those socks as if they’re God’s socks and actually put them away? God has trusted you with a family and given you clothes – show him your gratitude by abounding in your work today.

Yes woman who is going to work again today putting in hours that seem like a waste of your life. You have an opportunity to exchange your work for money and provision. Someone is counting on you to show up. God is also counting on you to show up. Don’t let him down. Show up with your best effort, even if you think no one will notice.

Yes college girl stressed with semester finals, study like a freaking champion today. Like your future depends on it. Give your best efforts today in school. Show God you’re the girl who deserves the degree and the next opportunity.

And finally our scripture today tells us that our labor will not be in vain.

Girl, your reward is coming. It is coming. Sometimes it feels like we do all this work for nothing, but listen to me – God sees your work and he will reward you. He’s been watching you closely. He sees when you’re faithful with little and he is preparing to give you more. Isn’t that the secret to the next level promotion in life … rock the level you’re currently on. Be faithful with the little you have now and prove you can be trusted with more.

So today, be steadfast, unmovable, abounding in your work and you will not labor in vain.

I speak from experience as the former fry manager at McDonald’s, you never know where your journey may take you. If you dwell in all that’s wrong, all that’s not and all that seems it never will be, then this is likely where you will stay. You could spend your entire life not knowing all God had available to you. Don’t let that potential go wasted. Don’t let those dreams go unlived. There’s more for you. There’s a next level of living available to you and the only way you’ll ever experience it is to rock the current level you’re on. Rock it with gratitude. Rock it with your best effort. Rock it with a steadfast grounding in your truth. Rock it with a solid commitment of continually showing up with the best of you.

I wonder where God could take a girl like you by next year at this time. The only way you will ever find out is if you rock this level.